Compensation

1 year (2017). Signed by Oakland as a free agent 12/1/16 (minor-league contract). Contract selected by Oakland 7/5/17. DFA by Oakland 7/8/17. Sent outright to Triple-A 7/11/17. Contract selected by Oakland 7/27/17. DFA by Oakland 8/5/17. Sent outright to Triple-A 8/7/17.

1 year (2016). Re-signed by Atlanta 11/15 (minor-league contract). Released by Atlanta 5/13/16. Signed by Toronto as a free agent 5/27/16 (minor-league contract).

1 year (2015). DFA by Baltimore 1/9/15. Sent outright to Triple-A 1/16/15. Contract selected by Baltimore 4/6/15. DFA by Baltimore 5/26/15. Sent outright to Triple-A 5/29/15 (refused assignment). Signed by Atlanta as a free agent 5/30/15 (minor-league contract). Contract selected by Atlanta 6/15/15. Sent outright to Triple-A by Atlanta 10/9/15.

1 year/$0.51M (2014). Re-signed by Boston 3/7/14. Claimed by LA Dodgers off waivers 12/5/14 after being DFA by Boston 11/25/14. Claimed by Chicago Cubs off waivers 12/19/14 after being DFA by LA Dodgers 12/10/14. Claimed by Baltimore off waivers from Chicago Cubs 12/23/14.

1 year/$0.495M (2013). Re-signed by Boston 3/2/13.

1 year (2012). Re-signed by Boston 3/9/12.

1 year (2011). Contract purchased by Boston 8/18/11.

Drafted by Boston 2008 (6-202) (Yale). $0.325M signing bonus.

The rest of this card is restricted to Baseball Prospectus Subscribers.

I know Ryan Lavarnway was never that high of a prospect with KG (peaking at 99 in 2012) but I've heard from some people that actually liked him more than Montero. He hasn't had a lot of playing time yet, but should we expect anything out of him anytime soon?(Brady Childs from Ruston, Louisiana)

I'm not the biggest Montero lover, but I like him a lot more than Lavarnway. It's not close for me. (Jason Parks on the Top 101 Prospects)

Thanks for the chat Mark! Can you explain why I didn't list Ryan Lavarnway on the Red Sox top-10 25-and-under list? Has his stock fallen that much?(Chris Mellen from BP's Dark Corridors)

Ah, Mr. Mellen...just as you have, I have seen a ton of Lavarnway the last few years. His performance in the big leagues in 2012 was very surprising to me, and frankly I wasn't that impressed with him in Pawtucket either. Ultimately, I think he will hit enough to survive on a big league roster, but he's a man without a position and with the newer depth in the Red Sox system, I'm not sure he deserved a spot on your U25 list. (Mark Anderson)

With the breaking news of Kelly Shoppach signing with the Mets, is the East now the Mets' to lose?(Garcia from LBC)

Well sure. They're just 16 1/2 out with 47 to go. It's anyone's division now.

Actually, this is a good deal for Boston. Shoppach wasn't the back up long term there. They have Ryan Lavarnway who needs playing time at catcher and this deal opens up a spot for him to get it. He could be the starter next season in Boston or split time equally with Jarrod Saltalamacchia (I spelled that all by myself!) which would make for pretty good production from the catcher's position.

As for what it does for the Mets? They're nine out of the Wild Card with a billion teams to jump over so I don't really get it. (Matthew Kory)

Derek- which rookies currently in the minors do you see having the biggest impact this season? Any do you see any of them as upgrades from say Cameron Maybin or Ted Lilly (bottom of my roster)? Thanks(DanDaMan from SeaCliff)

At this point, it's pretty much all about opportunity. The Trouts and Harpers of the world are already here, and now it becomes a waiting game for a lot of guys. With Tabata getting demoted, that time could be now for a guy like Starling Marte. Some other names to consider: Wil Myers, Ryan Lavarnway (if traded out of Boston), Danny Hultzen, Jake Odorizzi, Jedd Gyorko, Johnny Giavotella, Mike Olt, Travis Snider. It's a gamble dropping an established big leaguer for one of those guys, but in a shallower league where they're just bench players anyway, gambling on some upside isn't a bad idea. (Derek Carty)

What does the future hold for Jarod Saltalamacchia in Boston.The Red Sox appear to think highly of Ryan Lavarnway and drafted Blake Swihart.Salty’s defense has also cost the team dearly during the debacle at the end of the season.Any thoughts ? (Spirou from Somewhere close to the Big O)

The fact that they signed lefty-mashing Kelly Shoppach suggests the Red Sox will give Saltalamacchia another year in the big half of a platoon, rather than letting Lavarnway take over. It's worth noting that PECOTA says Salty will be a 1.0-WARP player in 2012, and that Lavarnway will be a 3.0-WARP player in 2012, and it's also worth noting that the Red Sox are run by smart people. (Sam Miller)

That would create a depth problem at catcher for Boston and because Beltran can't be offered arbitration after the season, the Sox have not to show for it after the season unless they win a ring. Their offense isn't the problem; it's their pitching. Adding Beltran would be overkill, IMO. (Jason Collette)